This invention relates to prefabrication of trusses, particularly wooden trusses, and specifically to a fabricating machine for setting the teeth of opposed connector plates into wooden truss members.
The machine utilizes a roller press having upper and lower press rollers for simultaneously driving upper and lower connector plates into the wooden components of a truss member. The machine is such that the truss members can be fabricated by having operators at only two stations, with no handling of the truss member therebetween.
More particularly, the fabricating machine is elongated and extends on opposite sides of the roller press, as well as protruding beyond one end of the roller press. A first, assembly station is provided along one side of one end of the elongated machine for supporting components of a truss member for assembly into suitable jigging. A second, pre-press station for supporting an assembled truss member and its jigging is disposed along the opposite side of the one end of the machine across from the assembly station. A third, post-press station is disposed along the same side of the machine as the pre-press station but at the opposite end of the machine. The roller press is disposed between the pre-press and post-press stations. A fourth, unload station is disposed across from the post-press station in alignment with the assembly station where the completed truss member can be removed from the jigging. The empty jigging then simply is moved past one end of the roller press back to the assembly station for continuous operation. All of the stations have roller means on the top thereof across which the truss member and jigging move. In addition, transport frameworks having rollers on the top thereof are provided between the assembly and pre-press station as well as from the postpress station and the unload station. Each of the transport frameworks are hydraulically liftable at one end to cause the truss member and jigging to move to the proper station under gravity.
In addition, the jigging is provided with novel means for supporting the connector plates on the underside of the truss member and for facilitating driving the teeth of the connector plates into the wooden components of the truss member by means of the lower roller of the roller press. In particular, a separate reaction assembly is mounted on the jigging beneath each joint between the wooden components of the truss member to support and position a connector plate. Each reaction assembly includes a plurality of individual transversely extending side-by-side reaction blades on which the connector plate is supported. The blades are independently vertically movable upon engagement with the lower roller of the roller press seriatim from lower supporting positions to upper pressing positions driving the teeth of the connector plate into the underside of the adjacent wooden components of the truss member at the joints thereof. The reaction blades are individually removably mounted so as to permit varying the number thereof to accommodate different sized connector plates. An adjustable clamp is positioned at each end of the reaction blade assembly to position varying numbers of the reaction blades. A transverse positioning blade is disposed at each end of the assembly of reaction blades, within the clamps. The positioning blades extend above the reaction blades at least slightly higher than the teeth of the connector plate to provide for positioning of the connector plate therebetween. The two adjacent wooden components at the joint thereof rest directly on top of the two end positioning blades.
As shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,464,348 and 3,855,917 "Reflex Generators" have been used utilizing blades which extend completely across the assembly machine for engaging connector plates on the underside of the truss member. Not only are these machines very expensive, but without providing individual reaction assemblies as described above and shown herein, it is very difficult to maintain proper positioning of the connector plates precisely at the joints of the wooden components of the truss member.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.